To join a caravan of fools
by Clairei
Summary: A WhatIf fic based on the premise of the 'Blue Spirit' joining up with Aang and his group. [ Series of Zuko centric vignettes, oneshot. ]


Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender? Doesn't belong to me, but was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

Author's Notes: This piece was inspired by a crack conversation between my boyfriend and me, involving the thought about the Blue Spirit (NOT "ZUKO") joining Aang and his friends. It might seem like a ridiculous premise, I'm sure, but read the vignettes, then let me know what you think! As always, reviews of any kind are welcomed, even those that only consist of smileys.  Enjoy!

---

On the day he met the Avatar and his friends again, he had rescued them from being captured by Azula. He jumped down from the rooftop, donning his Blue Spirit mask and wielding his trademark dual Dao, cutting all four of them from the rope that binded them. With much caution, he proceeded to dual his sister, being careful not to speak or use Firebending so that she would not guess his identity. Though, he could have sworn that she knew anyway.

They escaped on the Flying Bison, leaving behind a nearly destroyed Earth Kingdom town. The Blue Spirit glared at the Avatar, figuring that he would tell the others of his true identity. To his surprise, the boy kept quiet and the others began to praise him on a job well done.

"Thank you for rescuing us." Katara said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

The younger girl gave him a curt nod. "Not bad. You need a little work on your pacing, but it was still pretty good."

"Wow, you were amazing! You came in, took charge and showed that psycho princess who's in charge!" Sokka exclaimed as he frantically waved his arms. "I mean, that takes **guts**!**"**

Katara smirked. "Are you done oogling him, Sokka?"

"... I'm not oogling. I'm... just..."

"You're oogling." Toph remarked.

"No, I'm not!"

At that moment, he wondered if joining up with these people was such a good idea.

---

Katara kept giving him certain 'looks'. He remembered the last time he had seen a girl look at him like that. It was back in Ba Sing Se, in the tea shop he used to work in, Jin would always set her green eyes on him and sigh in a dreamy manner. Nowadays, he felt stupid believing that any potential spy would actually act like that back in those days. It made the Blue Spirit feel...rather uncomfortable. Sure, it was nice to garner the affections of the fairer sex, but... there were much more important matters that they should both be attending to. Besides, if she actually knew of his real identity, she would probably hate him as she probably always had.

Briskly, he walked away from her, attempting to escape the invisible clutches this young girl seemed to be grasping him with. However, she seemed to be in hot pursuit behind him. He had no desire to speak to her, none at all, even if a teeny tiny part of him actually felt like doing something absurd like _flirting_. All of a sudden, he stopped in his tracks and turned to face his female 'adversary'. "What do you want?"

Blinking, she tried to hide her flushed cheeks, even if it was obvious that she seemed to be embarrassed about something. "Oh, I found this bushel of berries and I was wondering if you wanted to taste some."

Well, that certainly seemed to be a pathetic excuse to get him to talk to her. "Fine, I'll try one." He dipped his hand into the basket she was holding and plucked one from the very top. Carefully, he lifted his mask partially in order to chew on the snack. Its taste was a little spicy, causing his tongue to feel a burning sensation. Actually, he liked it, considering that any Firebender would enjoy something like that. "It was delicious."

She nodded. "Maybe I can make you a tart with these. I've got the supplies back at the camp."

He waved his hand. "Sure. Whatever."

"I'll...see you later." With that, she hurried back to prepare the treat.

It felt rather nice to have someone actually wanting to do such things for him. ...Too bad it might not last if his identity was revealed.

---

It was agitating. No, it was more than just that. A temptation to strangle something or someone was starting to rise from inside him. Actually, maybe he could get away with murder. Yes, he could plead temporary insanity and it was partially true.

Sokka followed him through the forest, carrying his so-called 'hunting tools', and carrying a certain expression that was both cocky and sure of what he was doing. "You might be skilled in combat, but you need to be taught a thing or two about hunting."

"I don't need your help."

"Of course you don't." He retorted sarcastically. "I mean, that Mountain Deer-Lion that almost mauled you proved to me that you definitely know what you're doing."

A glare was directed at him, though the other one was not able to see it. In the distance, he could see another creature that he deemed worthy enough to make a tasty dinner. With one of his swords, he dashed right toward it. As he got close he rose the blade above his head, ready to bring it down on the unsuspecting animal. However, the snapping of twigs caused it alarm and forced the prospective meal to flee the scene, bouncing along the ground like a toy made out of a spring. The Blue Spirit tripped over his own two feet and landed in a puddle of mud. Sokka went up to him, smugly examining him. "Don't talk to me." Spat the masked being.

Sometimes, he wondered if he was cut out for any lifestyle other than being a spoiled prince and a masked vigilante.

---

She was a very proud girl. Despite being blind, she had surely managed to make something of herself, becoming a powerful and formidable match against him. ...And he did not like that. Being bested in the field he took pride in was a blow to his ego.

His uncle used to tell him to observe his foes, to watch for their weaknesses. From the short time he had known her, he remembered that she would know of her opponent's movements through the vibrations on the ground, her bare feet acting as sensors of sorts. There had to be a way for him to use that to his advantage.

"What are you waiting for, String Bean? I don't got all day." Toph stated. "Or did you lose your nerve?"

He was not a String Bean! Who did that girl think she was? The urge to beat her at her own game was becoming overwhelming at this point. Then he turned to the side, noticing the trees around him. As he began to move, she shifted her weight to the side, letting her feet slide with the motion. A boulder was launched in his direction, which he managed to narrowly avoid. Cautiously, he made his way up the tree, being careful to make as little noise as possible. From above, he watched her search for him. A tiny smirk adorned his face, thinking about surprising her from above.

Unfortunetly, she planted her feet into the soil, then had her hands sway to the far right. Some tremors started to cause the ground to shake violently, the branches in the trees were unable to support his weight and he fell when they snapped. In a heap, he landed in front of her feet. The Earthbender's head went down in his direction, a smirk similar to the one he had earlier was on her face. "You should think twice before trying to get the best out of me!"

Grumbling, he thought about what a bad idea it was to 'get to know' this girl better.

---

Greedily, Momo munched on the acorn, making sure that there would be none left for anyone that tried to take it away from him.

Appa yawned as he threw himself on the grass, deciding that it was time for his afternoon nap.

The Blue Spirit decided that they were definitely the only two that he could tolerate from this caravan of fools.

---

"You know who I am, don't you?" Asked the masked man, keeping his head bowed as he stood in that one spot.

"Yeah, I do." Aang replied, burying his head into his arms, which were up against his knees as he sat on the grassy knoll.

Slowly, he approached him, feeling a mix of awkwardness and annoyance at his having to interact with a person he had felt so bitter toward for so long. Instead of sitting, he continued to stand, though was now a lot closer to him than before. His arms were folded across his chest and he continued to look downward at his feet rather than at the other boy's face.

Sighing, he shifted just a little toward him, then assumed the same position as before. "Your uncle told me everything... He told me about how your dad...well..." Pausing, he tried to swallow down some of the saliva that had accumulated inside his mouth. "You needed me to restore your birthright, to give your dad a reason to care about you."

A calm breeze began to stir through the area, causing their clothes to move, along with all the blades of grass and the flowers that were scattered about. The sky was blue with fluffy, white clouds slowly passing by in an almost lethargic manner. The forest was right behind them, close enough for them to hear the bird chirping as they flew from branch to branch, but far away from the camp that the group had set up.

When Aang did not get any sort of response, he decided to continue speaking. "I asked you once if we could have ever been friends if things were different. Well, I don't think we should think about the past and what could have been." He gazed up at him, his gray eyes set in a determined stance. "We could still be friends. Even now."

Instead of a spoken reply, the Blue Spirit sat down next to him, his arms behind him as he leaned backward to get a better look at the sky. The words made him feel more at ease with himself and the situation he was currently in. The thought of being the Avatar's ally used to make him feel sick to his stomach, but now, he was starting to feel differently on the matter. He had never had any real friends before, not really. So, it might not be so bad to have a few now.

Aang shot him a cheesy smile. "Maybe we can go penguin-sledding someday!"

Zuko removed his mask, then quirked his eyebrow. "Don't push it."

---


End file.
